


When it needs fixing

by kiranightshade



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: GivePeterahug2K17, M/M, Post-Season/Series 02, Touch-Starved Peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 17:23:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9617750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiranightshade/pseuds/kiranightshade
Summary: Stiles notices. And then Stiles cares.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know, okay. I saw the thing on Tumblr and keysmashed this.

Stiles has been keeping an eye on Peter since summer started. Admittedly, it’s only been a month, but Stiles has noticed a few things about him. Like how he is never unaware of everyone in the room at any given time. How he always has a good view of the entire room. How the only one he’s let at his back, even for a moment, is the lone human. 

He hides it well. Stiles wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t actively looking. He always seems perfectly at ease, a fact that Derek is visibly irritated by, relaxed even. Like this hole-in-the-wall loft is exactly where he is comfortable spending his time.

Derek is wary of Peter. That much is obvious and everyone knows it. Even if everyone is just Stiles and Isaac. Point is, Derek doesn’t go within touching distance of Peter unless he’s throwing him through a wall and so his beta avoids Peter as well. It’s so passive that Stiles isn’t sure that Isaac has noticed, but if Peter is on the couch Isaac will stand and if Peter is on the staircase Isaac will suddenly be lounging on the couch. Stiles himself will sit on the couch, but it’ll be the opposite end.

Stiles never really took into account the consequences this would bring. Never really realized what exactly they were doing to Peter. He noticed that Peter is only ever met with violent touch, but he never noticed until he opened the loft door and ran right into his chest. Peter doesn’t move an inch, the lycanthropic bastard, but Stiles grunts and bounces back. He’s rubbing his nose when he hears the whine. Peter is just as surprised as Stiles if the brief widening of his eyes is any indication. He’s quick to cover it up with a leer and a pick-up line in an attempt to creep Stiles out. Stiles is too busy going over all that whine could mean to really hear him.

Stiles walks into the loft, lost in thought. He looks up and finds himself alone. He plops down on the couch and goes over every interaction he’s seen Peter have and what he finds settles heavy in his gut.

Peter is touch-starved.

Peter is a werewolf and he’s touch-starved.

And then Stiles thinks about everything before his resurrection and then even further to the past six years and Stiles feels sick at what he finds.

For the past six years, at least, Peter has only known violent and/or impersonal touch. Nurses, doctors, hunters, Derek. Stiles traces the inside of his wrist and remembers yanking it back. Remembers rejecting him. He doesn’t regret refusing the bite, but he doesn’t think Peter should have to suffer this either. Peter’s done little more than give schoolyard taunts to Derek; he’s even helping find Erica and Boyd. Stiles doesn’t exactly mourn Kate’s death either. 

Well, Peter isn’t going to ask for help. Of that, Stiles is certain.

 

*** 

 

He starts off small. He doesn’t hesitate to sit on the couch anymore, and he lets himself spread out a little. He lets himself brush against Peter every now and again. Fingers brushing, leaning around him, and super casual things like that.

So maybe he isn’t as subtle as he’d like to be. Maybe Isaac is giving him weird looks and Derek looks like he wants to hide Stiles away from the scary werewolf whenever he sits on the cushion next to Peter instead of the opposite arm rest. But Peter hasn’t done anything to stop him so Stiles doesn’t really give a damn.

 

*** 

 

Stiles and Peter are hunched over Derek’s map of the preserve when Stiles steps up his game. Normally, he’d give a soft “hey” when he wants to show Peter something. This time, he takes his hand and points it to where he wants. 

Stiles only knows Peter flinches because he feels it. His face portrays nothing but a set expression of indifference. Stiles pretends not to notice. 

Peter doesn’t leave his space after that.

 

*** 

 

Stiles starts touching him with more purpose and frequency. He doesn’t just sit next to him. He leans into his shoulder. He bats at his arm when he’s excited. He leans his back against his legs and does research on the coffee table. He rests his legs in his lap as he lays across the couch. All inconsequential but Stiles can feel Peter tense each time. And, each time, he relaxes the moment he recognizes him. 

Of course, Peter was only going to stay quiet for so long.

 

*** 

 

They’re alone again at the loft when Peter confronts him. 

Stiles is simply walking past him and to the kitchen when Peter snaps. Stiles himself didn’t even notice that he squeezed Peter’s shoulder on his way but evidently it was the last straw. Before he could blink, Peter grabbed his wrist from his shoulder and trapped him against the wall. Stiles forces himself still, breathing deeply to keep his heart from racing, as Peter steps into his space. His other hand wraps itself around his throat without constricting, effectively caging him in.

Stiles doesn’t react further than an involuntary gulp and looks Peter expectantly in the eye. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Peter asks, though it’s hardly a question. 

“Grabbing a soda?” 

“Don’t bullshit me.”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know.”

“Do you have any sense of self-preservation? I don’t get you. You’re terrified of me.”

“Are you sure about that? Take a good long whiff but I think you’ll find the only thing I am at the moment is thirsty.”

With that, Stiles lifts his right arm and drags Peter to his neck by his hair. Peter startles by tightening his grip on Stiles’ neck but he takes a deep breath as well. Whatever he finds surprises him. Possibly more than it did Stiles when he realized he stopped being scared of Peter a while ago. 

Not that he’s going to tell Peter that. 

Instead, he gentles his grip on Peter and, slowly, starts to run his fingers down his hair, over his shoulders, and squeezes the best he can in this position. It’s awkward but the intent is clear. Peter stiffens all over again and Stiles lets go. He stands limp in Peter’s hold until he’s let go. Peter takes a few steps back and Stiles can see the confusion more clearly than he’s ever seen on him. 

Stiles rights himself and says “I’m not afraid of you.” Before heading to kitchen. 

Peter is reading on the couch when he gets back. He catches the soda thrown at him and doesn’t flinch when Stiles plops down beside him. 

 

*** 

 

So…hugs become a thing. 

Not often, or around the others, but they happen now. Usually, it’s before the others arrive and they get bored on the couch.

Okay…so it’s more like cuddling becomes a thing. Whatever, cuddles are just extended hugs anyway.

Not that Peter would ever acknowledge it. God forbid. He actually reminds him of a cat. As in, he acts like it’s coincidence that they happen to be laying across the couch at the same time. And that it’s only convenient that Stiles leans against him whenever they’re lost in their own books. And it’s not the our shoulders are brushing and it’s whatever type of leaning. It’s full out Stiles is between Peter’s legs with his back resting against Peter’s chest kind of leaning. 

Stiles sometimes wonders what would happen if Scott were to walk in on that and then he snickers because he’d have such a fit. 

Shut up, he’s an awesome best friend.

Derek probably knows, in all honesty. Not only is he always giving Stiles this look, Stiles caught Peter actually scenting the couch once. He has no doubt it’s saturated in their scent by now.

But it’s not like it’s a secret either so it’s whatever.

 

*** 

 

It’s near the end of summer that Stiles does it. It’s not exactly planned, but Peter has been tense all day. He’s more closed off than he has been in a month and Stiles knows it has everything to do with the fact that Scott is here. 

Scott, who grimaced the moment he saw him there. Scott, who hasn’t been around once all summer and therefore has had no time for Peter to grow even marginally comfortable around him. 

Even Derek has stopped glaring at him all the time. Stiles is proud.

Scott, who was going on about Allison to Stiles until Derek returned from picking up Isaac. Stiles gets it okay. First love and all that. But he can’t stand how rigid Peter gets every time Scott says her name.

Eventually, enough is enough.

Stiles doesn’t bother telling Scott to stop. That would only lead to a fight he doesn’t want to have. He does, however, walk away from where they were standing by the table and sit himself right down in Peter’s lap. Stiles can hear Scott call out to him like he just poked a bear and the big door open. He doesn’t really care because Peter is stiff as a board. Stiles lets his limbs melt into him and Peter still hasn’t moved. Usually, by now he’d have rearranged him to his liking and gone on with whatever he’d been doing. Now, Scott is growling out something stupid behind them and, if he doesn’t stop that, Peter is going to snap at him. 

Stiles was about to say something when he felt himself being yanked back by the arm. He didn’t get pulled more than a few inches before Peter snarled at whoever grabbed him. Strong arms pull him back against Peter’s chest and Stiles can feel the vibrations of Peter’s low growling through his shirt. 

Footsteps draw nearer and then Derek is saying “It’s fine. Just leave them alone.”

Scott protests but Stiles hears him return to the table. Derek, he guesses, must have dragged him back. Stiles would join them and help the search but Peter is still clinging to him. His growling has stopped but Stiles can feel his claws poking over his shirt. Stiles doesn’t say anything, not surrounded as they are. He does wrap his arms around Peter and let him scent him. 

There’s no ignoring this. Scott will have a fit later. Erica and Boyd are still missing. The alpha pack could make their move any day. But Derek understands and there are only so many places in Beacon Hills to hide two werewolves. In the meantime, Stiles will hold Peter for as long as he needs.

**Author's Note:**

> I opened my laptop today with every intention of working on chp 3 of Alleviation... *sighs*


End file.
